The present invention relates to an optically transmitting apparatus, an optically transmitting system and an optically transmitting method, which can receive a plurality of data sequence frame formats by using one port and then identify therein a frame format and consequently carry out a suitable data transmission.
The optically transmitting system for using an optical signal and carrying out a data transmission at a high speed has been rapidly spread. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration example of the typical optically transmitting system. As shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of client networks 1, 1, - - - are connected to optically transmitting apparatuses 2, 2, - - - . The optically transmitting apparatuses 2 are connected such that data can be communicated with each other through a network 3. The optically transmitting apparatuses 2, 2 - - - receive or transmit the optical signal through the client networks 1, 1, - - - by using the data sequence frame format, such as Giga-bit Ethernet (hereafter, referred to as GbE), 1-Giga-Fiber Channel (hereafter, referred to as 1GFC), 2-Giga-Fiber Channel (hereafter, referred to as 2GFC), ESCON (hereafter, referred to as ESCON) and the like.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration example where the conventional optically transmitting apparatuses 2, 2 are used as a receiver and a transmitter. The optically transmitting apparatus 2 includes: an optical module 21 for converting an optical signal into an electric signal or converting the electric signal into the optical signal; a client I/F unit 22 for performing a predetermined process on a signal received from a client; a network I/F unit 23 for performing a predetermined process to transmit to and receive from the other optically transmitting apparatus 2 functioning as the transmitter; and a client mode setter 24 for setting to a mode corresponding to a frame format of the optical signal received from the client. The client mode setter 24 is connected through a communication line to an external PC 25 and sets to the mode corresponding to the received frame format before starting an optically transmitting process. That is, when the optical signal configured in accordance with any frame format is received, the setting of the client I/F unit 22 is changed through the client mode setter 24 so as to obtain the mode corresponding to the frame format. Consequently, it is possible to embody the optically transmitting apparatus that can correspond to a plurality of frame formats.
However, the above-mentioned conventional optically transmitting apparatus 2 was required to specify the frame format of the optical signal to be received before receiving the optical signal and then set to the mode corresponding to the specified frame format. Thus, there were problems that a pre-process for actually performing the optical transmission became complex and that a communication trouble caused by the setting mistake resulting from a human error and the like might be induced. In order to solve such problems, for example, through use of the protocol identification method (see to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-083562) there is a possibility to be able to provide an optically transmitting apparatus that can avoid the complex setting process by identifying the frame format in accordance with a header information of the received data and the like and then setting to a moderate mode.